Hardest Stream/River to Wade?

[krayfish2]

Dear Board,

Just a question for those who picked the Lehigh, what do you find so difficult about it? It gets my vote too, but I have a particular issue with the river that makes me vote that way.

Even when the river isn't huffing and puffing, the tannic water makes it almost impossible for me to see where the place I am standing descends into the abyss. It might be the only place I've never stumbled or fell when wading because I waded like a cat whose feet were in water.

I'll never forget the time we were fishing the Lehigh above White Haven near Wilmot Engineering. The Hendricksons were popping and my late friend Tony G was slaying them on wets while my brother Terry and I along with Tony's son Tony Jr were struggling to wade out to reach them with dries.

All of a sudden there was a loud curse word and a big splash as Terry fell in. Tony Jr busted out laughing and said, I can't use the actual words he said, but this should suffice, "Look at the fat SOB, he looks like a gigantic $%$#ing muskrat floatin' down da river."

I waded even more carefully after that.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

Yes, the closer the dam you get, the more the tanic stain you contend with. That's not the only thing that makes it tough. Some sections are armpit deep one step off the bank... even in modest flows. Some sections are littered with huge round boulders that make navigating on foot a chore. Other places have bottoms that look easy to wade but it isn't. The bottom in most places is a mix of yoga ball, bowling ball and softball sized rocks that are as greasy as any place you will ever fish. In a 16-20 mile stretch, I can only think of 5-6 small spots that I could deem as 'enjoyable to wade'. Add in the gradient and you get a thoroughly unenjoyable wading experience. 😁

 

[redietz]

North Branch of the potomac

Hands down. With the Savage in second place.

 

[Swattie87]

Yeah, the Lehigh has “all of the above”, which add up to it being very very difficult to get around on foot in it.

IMO it’s the gradient that is its most deceptive feature and what sets it apart from other relatively difficult streams to wade in PA. The tannic water and the slippery boulders, though certainly difficult, are fairly obvious and you sort of know what to expect with those…I’m not gonna be able to see where I put my feet, and even if I could it’s tough going, so you know to go slow and “feel” with your feet. Make sure one foot is completely planted and secure before moving the other, etc.

But the gradient deceives you. What “looks” like a relatively flat tailout of a pool, really isn’t. It’s “flat” by Lehigh standards, but it’s still more than what appears to the eye, and the flow gets “pushy” as I call it at a very low depth of water. I’ve said it before…I once attempted to cross it in the Gorge, to access a trib on the far side. It was Summer, and the flows out of the dam were low, 200 cfs maybe? I tried to cross in what I thought was an ankle deep tailout. Due to the tannic water, it was actually knee deep, which in most other streams would still be perfectly doable in a tailout. Once it got to knee deep, it was lifting me off my feet…In what I deduced to be the safest/easiest place I could find to cross it, in very “low” flows. I had to abandon that plan and back my way out the way I came. I eventually came back with a raft to access the far side trib I wanted to fish.

I essentially won’t wade it. Not my style of stream to fish anyway for the most part, but I don’t mess with it.

 

[wildtrout2]

One summer, when the river was very low, I saw two guys who were able to cross at roughly that spot to access what I believe is that same trib. It's the only time I've seen that on the Lehigh. I used to cross there too, but with with my kayak, to fish that trib.

 

[Swattie87]

One summer, when the river was very low, I saw two guys who were able to cross at roughly that spot to access what I believe is that same trib. It's the only time I've seen that on the Lehigh. I used to cross there too, but with with my kayak, to fish that trib.

Yeah. I’m sure we’re talking about the same spot. I only fished it that once. The trib was good, but not as good as some others nearby that don’t require crossing the river. Or, like a 4 mile (each way) hike that would involve descending into the Gorge on a bushwhack from public land to the north. Or, a lot of trespassing, including traversing a posted parcel owned by a retired judge. Not worth it.

 

[wildtrout2]

I'm familure with that posted section, but wasn't aware it was owned by a Judge.

 

[Swattie87]

I'm familure with that posted section, but wasn't aware it was owned by a Judge.

I don’t think the majority of that is owned by a retired judge, but, my understanding was the property that the grade/trail down in ends/begins at (big gate with lots of various forms of posted signs), is. Lehigh County IIRC. You’d be a fool to park a vehicle at that gate, without permission, regardless of who owns it.

I did the math and knocked on doors and stuff. The only plausible way I found was from the public land to the north or west. And neither of those is fun, or something I plan to do again.

Edit: That stream was #1 on my wish list for a number of years, and I’m glad I went on the adventure and did it, but the “catch per unit effort” to put it scientifically, was relatively low. And not as good as some far easier to access ones.

 

[dudemanspecial]

I only fished the Lehigh once for about 2 hours on an anniversary trip to Jim Thorpe with my wife, and that was enough for me to rank it tops on this list

I will also say that the Little J is a sleeper on this list because the water speed can be deceiving. There are a lot of spots that aren't too bad, but there are quite a few that will get you if you aren't paying attention.

 

[tjsingle]

Lehigh all day. I've even slipped at a ramp north of the gap!

 

[lycoflyfisher]

Lehigh gorge and Yough near ohiopyle for sure bar none in pa.

Penns ~ weikert to coburn, BFC narrows, Little J narrows can all be incredibly challenging in normal to above flows.

Several other small to medium streams have sections that rival in elevated flows. All due to high gradient, slanted bed rock or large boulders with rapid changes in water depth.

A trib to Lycoming Creek that will remain nameless has a short canyon like stretch with vertical folds of bedrock. It can fish fantastic after a summer thunderstorm, but if you step off the fold of bedrock you can find a foot stuck waist deep or more.

 

[albatross]

Interesting thread. I live near the Yough and I'm very familiar with the dangers of wading there. The Yough has already claimed the life of a fisherman this year, and anglers do die there periodically over the years. I don't know how regularly the Lehigh takes the live's of fishermen, but it seems this measure (deaths) would be a good proxy for wading difficulty.

 

[dryflyguy]

Lehigh and Yough get my vote also.
Although, since I've fished and know the Yough a lot more, there are a several small sections where the wading is relatively easy.
Have only fished the Lehigh a few times.

IMO, another place deserves to be mentioned too -
Some of the Erie tribe have pools that are nothing but long stretches of unbroken shale.
They are smooth and very slippery
With no small rocks or gravel that make it tough to get any traction once you start sliding

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

I've (finally) learned to avoid the obvious danger water. I've been unnerved in any creek where I sink knee-deep into underwater mud - and keep on sinking. I prefer slippery rocks to mud any time.
I've never been on the Lehigh but was never comfortable in the Yough.

 

[Steelhead_JESUS]

I’m 24 and fish the yough a lot and have always thought that was some tough water to wade… i made my first trip to the little j last summer and did read about how slick it is up there but thought i’d be fine because of my age— ohh boy was i wrong i found out real fast

 

[salmo]

For me it is Penn's Creek in Pennsylvania and the Savage River below the dam in Maryland.

 

[MarkC]

North Branch Potomac and Savage River are right up there. Small size but basically crawling over rocks.

Mark C

 

[jgish92]

Penns, Savage all have tricky spots, but if you slip there, you're probably just going to stand back up with a busted up a shin and wet clothes. A mistake on the Lehigh could be fatal.

 

[bdhoover77]

The toughest wading river I have been on is the Savage, although I did manage to stay upright and dry. I have fallen in on Penns, LJ, and even Spring Creek.

The scariest river I have ever been on was, hands down, the Gauley River in WV (although not to fish but for rafting). I thought I was going to die that day.

 

[steve98]

Lehigh

 

[MJMFlyfisher]

No doubt, hands down whether in the east or west. It’s the Ausable in upstate NY.

That was going to be my vote.....that place is no joke. I'm 6'3 220 and used to wade like a water buffalo but that place about made me wish I was wearing an inner tube around my waist. LOL
In PA....Lehigh, then Penns, Never waded the Yough but had a near death experience in it white water rafting (A story for another day!) I'm sure its high on the crappy wading scale.

Out west.....the Madison River hands down. Its the only river I've ever fallen in, and I once managed to do it 3 times in one day. I'm talking "Oh look a fish!" type spills. 🤪